Council prosecutes two people for illegal tobacco offences
Cheshire West and Chester Council has prosecuted two people for illegal tobacco and cigarette offences following investigations by their Trading Standards officers.
The defendants were sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Friday 28 March 2025.
Tomasz Szczepaniak (45) of Broadoaks, Bury and Marzena Gil (42) of Rollswood Drive, Manchester pleaded guilty to offences relating to the possession of a large quantity of cigarettes that did not comply with strict UK regulations for retail packaging, manufacture and sale.
In total 137,240 foreign cigarettes were seized from the defendants with an estimated retail value of £83,000. Approximately £56,000 of duty (payable on the UK equivalents) would have been evaded through the sale of these cigarettes.
Szcepaniak received a nine-month custodial sentence which was suspended for one year and was ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work.
Gil was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation days and was ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work. Gil was also ordered to pay £400 costs.
A Proceeds of Crime hearing will also be arranged for Szepaniak.
A Council spokesperson said:
Illegal tobacco supports other criminal activity and has many damaging effects on our local communities, as well as increased health risks. People may be tempted by the cheap price tag, but it's worth considering the great cost to your health, safety and community.
When passing sentence, the judge commented: “The purpose of the regulations is to work towards a smoke free UK by 2030. Overall, these cigarettes undermine the scheme. The sheer quantity and scale of cigarettes indicate a level of involvement and harm.”
The Council and its partner Brio Leisure have a stop smoking service for anyone in the borough who needs support. The ‘Go Smokefree’ service allows residents to self-refer for support to quit smoking, giving them access to 12 weeks of FREE Nicotine Replacement Therapy and unlimited behavioural support for as long as they feel they need. One-to-one support is available in one of 18 venues across the borough.
Additionally, residents can be supported via telephone, text, or via Brio’s Facebook page. For more information and support visit www.cheshirechangehub.org, email at hello@cheshirechangehub.org or call on 0300 777 0033.
All goods seized were non-compliant with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations Act 2016.